Thousands Descend On Downtown Christiansted For 48th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

ST. CROIX — Thousands of people dressed in different shades of green lined the streets of Christiansted on Saturday, in celebration of the island’s 48th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year, St. Paddy’s Day revelers enjoyed the usual route, with troupes starting out at Fort Christiansvaern, heading west up Company Street, turning at Times Square and heading east down King Street in Christiansted.

And as has become the norm for some, once just couldn’t cut it, so a few of the troupes doubled back.

Troupes were comprised of various local small businesses such as Lost Dog Pub; local groups such as the Gentlemen of Jones, and the Claude O. Markoe Elementary School Majorettes, as well as marching bands from both Complex, and Central High. Patrons sat, stood, and swayed to the sounds of local bands and deejays whose music permeated from speakers mounted on carnival styled trucks and trailers. Vendors on the parade route served local dishes and treats.

St. Patrick’s Day is an annual observance—on March 17th—of the death of St Patrick, the first patron saint of Ireland. Despite its beginning as an Irish cultural and religious celebration, it has evolved and expanded across the globe with parades, different shades of green and, of course, music and dancing.

The event has taken on a life of its own on St. Croix, and has become something that many look forward to annually. More and more people come out, with patrons even coming from St. Thomas, St. John, and the mainland U.S. to participate. On St. Croix the parade is usually held on the Saturday either preceding or following March 17th—if the day itself does not fall on a Saturday.

As the sun set and the parade slowly came to an end, the streets cleared and patrons slowly made their way to the Christiansted Board Walk, where the party continued well into the night.

Donna Bellot
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. For me writing is a love beyond definition and explanation. I do it because of a love for the art, because everyone has a story, and every story is worth being told. My inspiration comes from observing the people and things around me, sharing ideas with friends and family, my own personal experiences and ways of thinking, and a desire to continuously learn and gain understanding.

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This event is better than the children’s parade in Frederiksted. The St. Patrick Day Parade allows people of all age to celebrate life & be Irish for the day!

barnya

Let’s hope there comes a time when they join us for our parades as much as we join them for theirs!! ST. John sets a good example!!!

Crucianqueen1

I prefer to think of parades in the USVI as a cultural events open to all people. Don’t see any as “theirs.” People of all background will go to an event that make them happy regardless of who are participating or even why they are celebrating. Racists/haters may avoid mingling with celebrants. Who need them to spoil the party anyway?

RU Serious

yep – real fete is fete mehson.. color/race, age, sex, don’t matter once people having a good time .. Keep jammin STX!

Sharon Shapiro

It’s ideal to want to party and have fun, regardless of the significance or history of what you are celebrating; but let’s hope that, if Donald Trump has produced anything positive, it is the revealing of the REALITY that there is a war going on while people are partying in the streets who don’t even take time to learn to speak proper English, or control their own educational system. Still being mis-educated by decedents of slave-masters! Party on! Donald Trump is adding to the billions his friends already have! And, the war is against YOU!

URFinalDestination

Good talk!!!
I thought I was the only one thinking that way.
Let them keep partying for Donald Trump. Them is the same ones that going to wake Monday morning to criticize Trump, and talk trash about him all day. Keep Jamming your way to financial collapse ST. Croix. Let’s hope Trump sees this and feels sorry for them.

Crime Victim

I was in the army for most of my life. Do you know what “color” we have there? Green! It isn’t about black, white, brown, red or yellow. Our problem here isn’t race, though you push it. Our problem is leadership and character. Trump isn’t here, Mapp is and YOU elected him, how’s that working for you? Schools here are failing, is that Trump?
Character is not race based, its faith based. I picked my friends because of character not the color of their skin. I have friends here of all colors and I’d do anything for them. Obama tended to put race relations back years and created this mistrust. Seriously if you think Trump is the problem here you need to look at leadership here and have faith, whitie is not your master and we know it. It’s time you realized we don’t believe it.

Miss VI

Well funny the Tavern didn’t have a post stating that they had to close because the “locals are making a mess of town!” I guess it’s only Okay when “their own!” Makes a mess!

3404ever

Their own? I didn’t see they, I saw a bunch of “we”

barnya

Some people think that to be fair, life should be a two way street. Why should I keep going to your house if you don’t come to mine? Could it be that you don’t really want me? Despite the pretense?

RU Serious

hahah deh seh virgin islander people dem will use any excuse to fete which might be true but i still love seeing this .. All kind of people feting and enjoying it.. That’s how we were meant to live!

GEORGE A. HENRY JR.

Really and truly I don’t see any reasons right now, for people living in the USVI to be dancing and smiling up in the streets for any parade. Because look at the financial crisis the GVI is in, because of elected officials greed for money and power. GERS could dry up at anytime, some residents can lose their jobs, some residents are working for less hours, because most employers are cutting employees hours, soon we have to pay sin taxes and pay more property taxes, we are driving on BAD roads, etc. And still so many residents still can’t get their tax refund checks from 2011 to 2015, and WON’T get their 2016. So what’s there really to be dancing and smiling up in the streets about for parades? What people need to keep in mind, is remember not to make STUPID mistakes again, next election time if GOD spares our lives. How come we all can’t FULL UP Christiansted and Frederiksted by the thousands to let our voices be heard, about the way those elected officials RUN the USVI into the ground? So what’s going on GOOD for people living in the USVI nowadays? So is it still “PARADISE” or “PARADEAD”?